Portage to the Past: Man threatens family on hot July night

Rhonda Whetstone

It was late July 1917, and perhaps the stifling heat and the liquor combined to push August Stanke over the edge Monday, July 30. Then again, he had been threatening injury to his family for some time.

August Stanke, 45, was born in the town of Sharon. Eighteen years before our story begins, Stanke, who was a plasterer by trade, married Frances Gruno of New Hope. They moved to 237 Union St. in Stevens Point where they would have eight children, Edward, Florence, Lillian, Magdeline, Genevieve, Albert, Frank and Pearl.

August Stanke was arrested in spring 1917 for failing to support his wife and family, and although in jail for some time, he refused to plead guilty. His wife likewise refused to testify against him, so it finally was agreed to let him out of jail if he would contribute to the support of his family.

In late July, Frances Stanke served papers for separation, and August Stanke was to pay her $10 a month for support of the two youngest children. The divorce decree was pending.

August Stanke had been living at the Myers Hotel for more than a week, and even though he was "black-listed" or a "posted man," meaning no one was to sell him liquor, he managed to procure a couple of bottles.

For an entire week, August Stanke had bothered his wife about letting him come home, through repeated trips to her house. When the daily visits continued, Mrs. Stanke was advised to keep the door locked leading to the upstairs where she lived, and she did so.

Early in the evening of July 29, he went to his wife's home and sent his young daughter Lillian to ask his wife again if she would take him in to board. She returned the answer that there was "no room for boarders." Mrs. Stanke was living on the top floor of the home with her children, renting to Chalmer Lane and his wife on the ground floor.

By Monday evening, July 30, August Stanke had caused a considerable disturbance at the hotel, according to the Stevens Point Gazette, but he finally was persuaded by Lon Meyers to go to bed. Soon after though, August Stanke entered the room of J. Hubbard of Plainfield, who was about to retire, and would not leave the room, so Hubbard went down to the hotel office for the night.

August Stanke left the hotel four times between the hours of 1 and 3 o'clock, going to his wife's home, but returning each time, all the while drinking the liquor he had. Each time he returned to the hotel, he repeated threats regarding his wife and eldest daughter. He even went so far as to say that after he killed them, he would go before Judge Murat and kill him, and then go to the county jail and give himself up to Sheriff Kubisiak, whom he also would kill just as he was to be locked up.

It boggles the mind that no one summoned the police.

The Stevens Point Daily Journal reported that around 3 a.m., August Stanke left the hotel for the fifth and final time and headed to the home on Union Street. This time, he carried a ladder with him and gained entrance to the home through a second-story window where Frances and the eight children resided. Removing his shoes, he entered the room of his son Edward, 15, and then went to the room occupied by his wife and Pearl, the daughter he planned to kill.

Edward called out a warning to his mother that his father was headed to her room with a knife just as August Stanke entered her room.

Grabbing a lamp, August Stanke headed up to the attic. While on the stairs, he stumbled, then turned and went down to the kitchen where he remained several minutes. Pearl later said she thought her father was planning on using the lamp to set fire to the house, so at the first chance, Mrs. Stanke and some of the older children ran to the rear yard.

Mrs. Lane, who was living downstairs, said later that August Stanke put on his shoes again and moved noisily through the house. He came to her door and said in Polish, "Mamma will be finished in 10 minutes." That is when he followed his family to the yard.

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Portage to the Past: Man threatens family on hot July night

It was late July 1917, and perhaps the stifling heat and the liquor combined to push August Stanke over the edge Monday, July 30. Then again, he had been threatening injury to his family for some

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